< IIIiAPEST MAXIBK KOK lAIlMIIKS. 129 



there was n<»t quite 40 acres, and we Imtl !»54 liushcls of Dielil 

 wheat. This is not bad in the eireuin.^tanecs ; l)Ut I shall not 

 be content until I can uvcra;^e, takini; oni- y<'ar with another, ;J5 

 to 40 bushel-* |>er acre. If the land had i>een rich enou;;h, there 

 would un(iueslioiiai)ly have been 40 bushels |)er acre this year. 

 Tliat is to say, the bia»>ii was (piite capable of produi inn' this 

 amount; and I think the nu'chancial condition of the land was 

 also ecjual to it ; all that wasnicdid was suflicient available plant- 

 food in the soil." 



*' I can see no reason," said the Doctor, " wiiy you may not av- 

 crasre 40 bushels of wheat per acre in a good season." 



" The tield of 14 acres," said I, " where wheal followed wheat, 

 yielded '2'.\ bushels per acre. Last year it yielded 22 bushels i)er 

 acre ; and so we got in tiie two yt ais 4.") bushels per acre." 



This ticld has had no manure of any kind for years. In fart, 

 since till' land was cleared, 40 or 50 years ago, I ])resume that all 

 tiie manure that has been ap[tlicd would not, in the aggregate, 

 lie equal to more than a good crop of clover-ha}'. The available 

 jilant-fooil r('i[uin'd to i)roiluce these two crops of wheat came 

 from the soil itself, and from tlie rain, dews, and atmosi)here. The 

 land is now seeded down with clover, and with the aid of a bushel 

 or two of plaster per acre, next spring, it is not improbable that, 

 if mown twice for hay next year, it will yield in the two crops 

 three tons of hay per acre. 



Now, three tons of clover-hay contain about 33 lbs. of phos- 

 phoric acid, 90 lbs. of |)olash, and I.jO lbs. of nitrogen. 



The last crop of wheat, of 22 bushels per acre, and say 1,500 

 lbs. of straw, would contain : 



/;: the grain. In the straw, hi tfjtal crop. 



Phosphoric aci.l Ill lbs. .".* lbs. 1.5i lbs. 



Potash t:} '• !)} " IGi " 



Nitrogen 23 " Hi " 32i " 



It seems very unkind in the wheat-plants not to give me more 

 than 22 bushels per acre, when the clover-plants comiiig after will 

 find phosphoric acid enough for 40 l)ushels of wheat, and potash 

 ami nitrogen enough for nearly 100 bushels of wheat per acre. 

 And these are the tliree important constituents of plant-food. 



Why, tlien, did I get only 22 bushels of wheat per acre? I got 

 23 busliels on the same land the year previous, and it is not 

 improbable that if I had sown the same land to wheat again this 

 fall, I should get 12 or 15 bushels per acre again next year. But 

 the clover will find plant-fool enough for 40 bushels of wheat. 



" There is not much doubt," said the Deacon, " that you will 



